Apple’s bento graphic for Audio & Dwelling covers all the things from HomeKit to tvOS. This is a breakdown of that picture’s characteristic checklist.
The bento graphic is an Apple custom now. It is the corporate’s fast and flashy method to summarize all the key options of services and products after it finishes presenting them.
The Audio & Dwelling bento truly combines options from quite a lot of {hardware} and working programs. It contains components from tvOS 18, AirPods, and HomeKit, all in a single graphic.
Redesigned Apple Health+
The Apple Health+ app for tvOS 18 is being redesigned. The thought is that it’s going to assist customers take a look at extra of the strong exercise library, and try and hold them motivated about their health routine.
The modifications embody a brand new personalised For You area, sections for Discover and Library, search options, and enhancements to awards.
Fingers-free unlock with UWB locks
As a part of HomeKit’s safety features, locks with Extremely Wideband communications might be set to mechanically unlock for a consumer. This will occur when the consumer’s iPhone is as much as six ft away from the lock itself.
Unlocking a door will make it simpler for homeowners to enter their residence with their fingers full, since they will not have to fumble round to unlock the door in any respect.
FaceTime Reside Captions
Already a characteristic of FaceTime on Apple’s principal platforms, the closed captioning characteristic might be obtainable in visionOS 2. Apple initially stated it was on the way in which as a part of a pre-WWDC accessibility announcement.
For customers, this can imply that contacts they FaceTime whereas carrying the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional might be subtitled, permitting the exhausting of listening to to comply with together with the dialog.
InSight for Apple Originals
The Apple TV app in tvOS 18 will acquire a brand new characteristic known as InSight, which is able to apply to all Apple Originals. When enabled it can provide up details about what’s occurring in actual time.
This info contains actors, characters, and music, with additional info additionally obtainable. Customers can choose an actor to see their background and filmography web page, whereas songs might be added to an Apple Music playlist.
This info seems on-screen on the linked TV, however should you’re utilizing an iPhone as an Apple TV distant, you may see the info there.
InSight appears to be Apple’s tackle Amazon’s X-Ray, which it makes use of for its personal Fireplace TV machine vary.
On-device Siri on Apple TV
As a substitute of counting on servers to course of queries, Apple might be bringing extra Siri processing to the Apple TV itself.
To customers, this might end in faster responses for fundamental queries. It additionally helps enhance privateness and safety, just by conserving some queries regionally processed as a substitute of traversing the Web to a server and again.
Subtitles on mute
Subtitles in tvOS 18 might be smarter, displaying mechanically if the consumer mutes the at present performed present or film to allow them to proceed to comply with alongside.
They can even seem at applicable moments in tvOS 18, resembling when the spoken language does not match the set machine language. Subtitles may also seem if a consumer skips again whereas watching one thing, in case the reason being as a result of they could not hear what was being stated.
Improve Dialogue on TVs, receivers, and Bluetooth audio system
Improve Dialogue might be improved in tvOS with machine studying. This may improve the vocal readability of actors over the background noise for TV exhibits and movies.
Briefly, it can develop into lots simpler to know the dialogue of a movie or TV present when there’s quite a lot of background audio occurring. For instance, up-tempo music, engine noise, and crowd scenes.
It is going to work with a TV audio system, in addition to HDMI-connected audio system, AirPods, and Bluetooth-connected gadgets, or when taking part in supported content material on iPhone and iPad.
Customized Spatial Audio API
A brand new Customized Spatial Audio with dynamic head monitoring characteristic contains assist for video games performed on AirPods and an iPhone. AirPods Professional customers can even have the ability to use 16-bit 48kHz audio for in-game chat.
As a part of this, Apple is offering recreation builders with an API to allow them to add assist to their in-development titles.
Voice Isolation on AirPods Professional
Serving to customers hear others, Voice Isolation is being delivered to the AirPods Professional, operating on the H2 chip. The characteristic, utilizing machine studying, will improve voice high quality whereas eradicating vital background noise, for the advantage of the listener.
New Apple TV display savers
The Apple TV will acquire plenty of new display savers with tvOS 18. The checklist contains Portraits, TV and Motion pictures, and an animation of Snoopy and Woodstock taking part in and resting in numerous areas.
Visitor entry
The Dwelling app will embody visitor entry, which is able to present a visitor with management of varied programs in a home. For instance, a house proprietor might permit a visitor’s iPhone to unlock the entrance door’s sensible lock, however not others.
The entry might be restricted to a schedule or for a restricted period of time.
Siri interactions on AirPods Professional
A excessive level of the keynote for AirPods Professional customers, they are going to quickly have the ability to cope with some Siri prompts with out utilizing their fingers or voice. As a substitute, they’ll reply by nodding or shaking their head.
Apple proposes that this may be helpful when a consumer is in a scenario the place talking is not advisable, and if their fingers are occupied. This was demonstrated by a person in a crowded carry declining an inbound name.
SharePlay with HomePod
SharePlay might be added to HomePod and HomePod mini, so many individuals can add songs management playback from a shared playlist. Customers can be part of by bringing their iPhone shut to a different iPhone already within the group, or scan a QR code within the Apple Music SharePlay window on an iPhone.
Customers can add to the SharePlay checklist with no need an Apple Music subscription.
Dwelling electrical energy
Dwelling homeowners will have the ability to view their electrical energy utilization within the Dwelling app’s Power class. It is going to assist residence homeowners decide how finest to enhance their vitality utilization throughout peak and off-peak hours.
This requires a connection to their utility account to operate. At first, Pacific Fuel & Electrical in California will assist the characteristic, with different partnerships deliberate.
Robotic vacuums in Dwelling app
Robotic vacuum cleaners will have the ability to work with the Dwelling app immediately. This may be helpful for residence homeowners who need to incorporate the cleaners as a part of automations or scenes, managed from the Dwelling app as a substitute of utilizing the cleaner’s companion app.
This can even allow voice-based requests to wash by way of Siri.
21:9 format for projectors
Projectors with assist for 21:9 video will have the ability to play content material in that side ratio in tvOS 18. Many movies are produced in such a facet ratio, so it ought to give a extra film-like expertise to customers.